Tag: 2022 World Cup

FIFA should if possible increase the size of the football World Cup in Qatar in 2022 to 48 from 32 teams, the global governing body’s president Gianni Infantino has said.

Last month, Infantino said a majority of national football federations were in favour of expanding the tournament and a decision was expected ahead of the qualifying draw in March.

Infantino, speaking at a sports conference on Wednesday, also said FIFA was seeing whether it would be possible for some of Qatar’s Gulf neighbours to host some of the matches.

He said last month that it would be “difficult” to stage an expanded tournament in Qatar alone.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt launched a diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar in June 2017 which has complicated the prospect of sharing the tournament.

The countries accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism.

However, the tiny but wealthy Arab nation has since denied this.

FIFA voted in 2017 to increase the size of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, starting from 2026.

But, since then, Infantino has been mulling the possibility of bringing the change forward to 2022.

“If you think it’s a good thing to have 48 teams in the World Cup, why not try four years before. That’s why we are analysing whether it’s possible to have 48 teams already in 2022,” Infantino said.

“The World Cup will take place in Qatar with 32 teams. Obviously, if we can increase it to 48 teams and make the world happy, we should try it.”

Qatar said it would not take a final decision on the tournament expansion until it has seen details of a feasibility study from FIFA.

The study is expected to discuss aspects of scheduling, the number of required venues, training sites, and how many games per day would be played under an expanded format.

Qatar has moved ahead with ambitious plan to scale up infrastructure ahead of the 2022 tournament that includes $6 billion to $8 billion on eight stadiums and sporting facilities.

“If we can accommodate some of the neighbouring countries in the gulf region, which are very close by, to host a few games in the World Cup this could be very beneficial for the region and the entire world,” Infantino added.

“There is tension in this particular region and it’s up to their respective leaders to deal with that. But maybe it’s easier to talk about a joint football project than more complicated things.

“If it can help all the people in the Gulf and all the countries in the world develop football and bring a positive message to the world about football, then you should give it a try.”

Punch Games

A “majority” of football federations support increasing the number of teams playing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from 32 to 48, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in Doha on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference after a three-day FIFA summit in the Qatari capital, Infantino said the idea had widespread backing from associations across the globe.

“We will see,” he said. “So far, of course the majority is in favour because 16 more teams to participate, not only means 16 more countries with World Cup fever but also 50 or 60 more countries being able to dream.

“Is it feasible or not, that’s the question?”

FIFA has said it will make its final decision in March, at its next council meeting, after the completion of a feasibility study.

It has backed a 48-team tournament to become the norm from 2026, when the World Cup will take place in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

And he said that Qatar would consider the idea of a 48-team World Cup in four years’ time.

“There is an openness on the part of Qatar and that is something that I really appreciate,” said Infantino.

About any final decision, he added: “Of course, the first partner with whom we are speaking about is the Qataris, the Qatar federation, the Qatari authorities.”

Any decision to extend the tournament would be faced by logistical and political problems.

The 2022 World Cup, the first in the Middle East, will take place over 28 days not the usual 32, as in Russia earlier this year.

Infantino confirmed that changing the number of days is not a possibility in Qatar, so one option would be to host tournament games across the region.

But that is complicated by Qatar being at the centre of the worst diplomatic crisis to hit the Gulf in years.

Since June 2017, it has been politically and economically isolated by neighbouring former allies, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

They accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism and being too close to Iran.

Doha denies the charges and says its rivals are seeking regime change in Qatar.

“Is it feasible to have a few games in neighbouring countries, well maybe this an option,” he added.

“Of course, I am not that naive, not to know, not to read the news about what is going on.

“But we are in football, we are not in politics.”

Asked if he had held specific conversations with Qatari organisers or political leaders about holding some games in Saudi Arabia, Infantino said: “We discuss about everything but we didn’t decide on anything concrete yet.”

Punch Games

Qatar’s 2022 World Cup preparations have been inconvenienced but not delayed by the political and economic boycott by its neighbours, the country’s most senior tournament organiser insisted Sunday, AFP reports.

Hassan Al-Thawadi, Secretary General the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said alternative suppliers outside those countries involved in the ongoing dispute have been found for tournament-related construction projects.

“The impact has been minimal,” Thawadi told Doha-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera English in an interview to be aired later on Sunday.

“In terms of stadium progress or stadium construction and infrastructure requirements for the World Cup, progress is being made as well.”

He added that the crisis has “caused an inconvenience”.

Asked outright if projects had been delayed, Thawadi responded: “Projects are on schedule. No delays have occurred.”

Qatar has been isolated since June 5 when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with the World Cup host — accusing it of backing extremism and fostering ties with Iran — triggering the biggest political crisis in the Gulf for several years.

Qatar initially gave priority to Gulf suppliers for the vast construction projects — the country is spending $500m a week on World Cup projects — accompanying the controversial tournament.

Punch Games

The diplomatic crisis sweeping the Gulf could invigorate a campaign by critics of Qatar to strip Doha of the 2022 World Cup, experts say.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen were among those to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on the grounds that Doha supported extremist groups “that aim to destabilise the region”.

One of the areas that could feel the impact is Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup, football’s biggest tournament, in five years’ time.

“This is a massive escalation in pressure on Qatar,” said Kristian Ulrichsen, a Gulf analyst with the Baker Institute at Rice University in Houston. “I think it will really have an impact if it lasts any time.”

Since being controversially chosen by FIFA in 2010 as the host, Qatar has maintained that it is a politically secure nation despite its location in a volatile region.

Doha has also emphasised that the tournament serves the entire Gulf, and not just the tiny gas-rich emirate.

Nasser Al-Khater, a senior figure with Qatar’s World Cup organising body, recently claimed that up to 1.3 million fans would visit Doha in 2022, the majority from the Gulf and “mainly from Saudi Arabia”.

But current events may challenge those notions, Ulrichsen said.

“One of its pitches [to secure the World Cup] was that Qatar is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East,” he said.

With that potentially called into question – and the fact that there are other countries which could host the event at little notice – organisers may be getting anxious, Ulrichsen said.

“Qatar will know that there are alternatives, so they will be looking over their shoulder,” he said.

Suggestions have been made previously that the United States, one of the countries that lost the race for the 2022 competition to Qatar, could take over hosting duties if necessary. China would also no doubt be keen to step in.

The crisis that erupted on Monday came only a few weeks after US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia to cement ties with Riyadh and called for Muslim countries to unite against extremism.

In a brief statement, football’s governing body FIFA said it was “in regular contact” with Qatar 2022 organisers and had “no further comments for the time being”.

Punch Games

With a little under 2,022 days until the Qatar World Cup kicks-off, the tiny yet hugely ambitious Gulf state will officially unveil the tournament’s first completed venue on Friday.

The Khalifa International Stadium — complete with the much-talked-about cooling technology that was central to Qatar’s controversial bid for the World Cup — will host the country’s biggest domestic cup competition, The Emir Cup final.

On the pitch it will be a battle between arguably the country’s biggest teams, Al Sadd, skippered by Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez,, and Al Rayyan.

But off the pitch, the stadium will provide a solid example of Qatar’s progress for the World Cup, a mere 2012 days before the tournament kicks-off.

“I think it is a source of immense joy and pride,” Nasser Al-Khater, a senior figure at World Cup organising body, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, told AFP.

“It’s a stadium dear to our hearts, Khalifa Stadium, so we’re happy that it’s the first stadium to be completed.

“It’s real, it shows you the progress you’ve been working hard on is actually coming to reality.

“And you can see it and you can feel it, it’s tangible. It’s a thrill.”

The stadium was first built in 1976 and has just gone through its second refurbishment.

It will house 40,000 fans during the World Cup, hosting matches played up to the quarter-final stage.

Significantly, it will also host the 2019 World Athletics Championships.

As part of its revamp, Khalifa includes technology that will provide air-conditioning for fans.